I Love and Hate This Time of Year

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May is always a wonderful time of year for me, and a maddening one, too.  The reasons for such a dichotomy involve family life, a parish youth ministry, a second job, and a budding apostolate on the side of my full-time work.

Family life, as anyone who has been married for several months knows, has good seasons and not-so-good seasons.  What I mean to say is that there are cycles during which the day-to-day operations of family become easier and harder.  Early May brings a freshness that helps us shake off the winter blues.  On the other hand, it also means that the sun stays out later, which makes it difficult to put to bed a two-year-old.  The abode looks and feels so nice when the "spring cleaning" is completed; but there is that little annoyance of actually cleaning instead of taking a walk or relaxing under the shady tree.  Do you get my drift?

The largest and most stressful events of the youth ministry year are finished by late April, which means that there is plenty of time to "coast" on the job.  Yet, the parish leadership has calmly mandated that I submit all of my budget and schedule requests for the next fiscal/academic year by mid-May.  Such tasks are impossible in the midst of regular ministerial duties, and they also consume a large majority of the first two weeks of "down time."

After seven and one-half months of teaching multiple courses at a local university, early May is a time welcomed by many professors, yours truly included.  Final exams have been given, final grades have been assigned, and, except for a few students who think more of their skills than the professors do, everything becomes very quiet.  Okay, this point doesn't really have a down side, except that I don't have that income for another four months.  I suppose that the summer "fun" (read: straight into the savings account) budget will be pared to skeletal.

At this point, the most uncertain and frustrating aspect of this whole situation is the new and unproven apostolate.  During prayer and spiritual direction, I begin to have amazing ideas (at least in my own estimation).  Then I return to my computer and phone and realize that no one has called with a request for a talk or retreat.  Going back to the planning and advertising phase is productive because it means less preparation when the calls and emails do come.  However, it would be nice to spend time using the gifts that God has given to me, rather than planning and telling Him how I'd like to use them.  Alas, the Almighty will see fit to give me opportunities when and if they are good for Him, for His Church, for my family, and for me.

Yes, May is a glorious time; a time for a bit of relaxation and rejuvenation.  It is also a time for frustration and huge question marks for many questions that adults often ask.  I suppose that only means that I must continue to take these ruminations and lay them before my Lord in prayer; and seek encouragement from others who are dealing with similar trends.  Any advice out there?

God bless!

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